Arval has launched a new online tool that enables drivers to assess the viability of choosing an EV or hybrid instead of conventional petrol or diesel vehicles.

The new online tool is designed to help company car drivers decide whether more diverse fuel choices such as electric and hybrid power are right for them

Available for use by anyone, the Alternative Technology Calculator poses a series of questions about individual driver journey patterns for work and leisure, the types of roads used, Benefit-in-Kind taxation, access to charging and more.

It then asks them to choose between models they are considering, which will usually be a specific petrol or diesel against a specific plug-in hybrid or electric vehicle. The calculator will then make a recommendation, highlighting the advantages of the preferred option.

Although the tool has been designed for easy use on the front-end, calculations on the back-end provide a really comprehensive picture of the implications of each vehicle choice, according to the firm.

Paul Marchment, senior business manager at Arval, explained: “The combination of factors that need to be considered should encourage people to think about how and where they are using their vehicles because the correct usage of the newer technology is vital to ensure that the potential benefits are realised.

“No two drivers are the same and this should be reflected in the technology they opt for. While one driver may benefit from adopting an electric or plug-in hybrid model, a driver who has a long commute or spends a lot of time on the road may still be better suited to a diesel or petrol model, even when taxation is taken into account.”

The tool has been developed as part of Arval’s corporate promotion of wider fuel diversity, which has also seen the recent news that it will fit 43 EV chargers at its Swindon headquarters, one of the country’s largest corporate installations of its type.

Marchment continued: “It is very much our policy to demonstrate our commitment to fuel diversity in a real-world manner and our own company car drivers have become among the most enthusiast users of the new calculator.”